Top Trends in Biodiesel Technology to Know in 2023

Using biodiesel instead of petroleum reduces carbon emissions by 74 percent, and most engines do not require any changes to use these fuels. One can use biodiesel in almost any diesel engine which continues running.

Fremont, CA: Green mobility is critical in the ongoing attempt to combat climate change—more than any other category, transportation accounts for a 29percent of total greenhouse gas emissions. Fortunately, there are several answers to this problem, and biodiesel is one of them.

Biodiesel is a form of diesel fuel manufactured from animal and plant waste rather than petroleum. Using biodiesel instead of oil reduces carbon emissions by 74 percent, and most engines do not require any changes to use these fuels. One can use biodiesel in almost any diesel engine which continues running.

The latest biodiesel technological advancements make it further promising. Here are some of the most outstanding of these breakthroughs.

• Algae Feedstocks

Soybean oil presently accounts for the most biodiesel production in the United States. The issue with both of these first-generation biofuels is that they require resources that are generally food, possibly restricting global supplies. However, new developments have discovered alternatives, with algae among the most promising.

Algae is not a food source; because it can grow in places other crops cannot, it will not compete with them. It also produces more gasoline, making it less expensive. The main issue is that techniques for extracting the essential fatty acids from it previously cost a lot of energy.

• Yeast Feedstocks

Yeast is another interesting feedstock discovery. MicroBioGen, an Australian business, recently identified a way to produce biofuels using genetically modified yeast. Early efforts at yeast feedstocks were costly and yielded limited yields, and yet this genetically engineered approach offers a viable alternative.

The transgenic yeast from MicroBioGen can grow within its waste stream. This allows it to spread and create biofuel at an even greater scale, resulting in significantly higher yields. As a byproduct, it produces a high-protein feed, which biodiesel manufacturers may subsequently sell to farms. These sales would assist in covering manufacturing expenses, making biodiesel more accessible.

• Two-Stage Biodiesel Processing

Cost is an essential concern in biodiesel manufacturing. Many individuals will only transition to sustainable fuel if it is equal to or less expensive than fossil fuel. This is a difficulty because of the high expense of many forms of green mobility, such as electric automobiles.

Most biodiesel manufacturing processes combine hydrotreating, eliminating contaminants, and dewaxing, making fuels more fluid in a single stage. ExxonMobil has just launched a method that divides these procedures into stages. This enhances yields and offers it more control over the operation.

With higher yields, producers can make more biodiesel from the same quantity of feedstock. As a result, prices will fall, making biodiesel a more appealing alternative to petroleum.